• Premier League

Spurs assistant Bond insists Modric not for sale

ESPNsoccernet staff
August 2, 2011
Chelsea are preparing a third bid for Luka Modric © Getty Images
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Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Kevin Bond has backtracked over comments that Luka Modric could leave if the club's valuation of the player is met.

Spurs have fought hard to fight off Chelsea's advances this summer, turning down offers of £22 million and £27 million. Chairman Daniel Levy has been fierce in his battle to keep the Croatian, declaring the midfielder to be completely unavailable.

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay revealed on Sunday the Blues are likely to make a third bid for Modric, who has made it clear he wishes to join Chelsea. Andre Villas-Boas appears to be ready to offload Yuri Zhirkov for around £13 million in order to free up further funds to lure the 25-year-old.

Bond, speaking to talkSPORT on Monday, appeared to give Chelsea hope when he said: "Transfers are part and parcel of the game but you don't want to lose your best players and he certainly is one of our best players. We desperately don't want to lose him but everyone has a price.

"If somebody came along and the money turns your head and he did go - although the chairman is adamant he doesn't want to sell him - then we'd have to get on with it. Harry would have to deal elsewhere in market."

However, Bond later issued a statement maintaining that his intentions had been misrepresented: "For the purpose of clarification and in case my comments this morning inadvertently misled anyone, the club's position on Luka Modric is quite clear - we have no intention of selling him."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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